


Virus

by bigwolfpup



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Betrayal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Friends to Enemies, M/M, Multiple powers, Next Generation, Original Character(s), Platonic Relationships, Post-Apocalypse, Violence, ouroboros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-24 11:50:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6152764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the year 2025, things have gone bleak in Sternbild. Ouroboros has taken over the city, and 25-year-old Kotetsu B. Brooks needs to find a way to escape. His mission: Find Barnaby Brooks Jr quickly. His help: an unlikely friend and a NEXT power that takes him right to the roots of the destiny he was made for.</p><p>ON HIATUS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Log

 

Log Date: 12/10/2025

Entry Time: 22:34

User: K. B. Brooks

I.D.: B00-516

 

-Start Log-

 

_It’s gotten worse. The virus is spreading like wildfire all across the globe. People are being killed everywhere, and the “heroes” aren’t helping. All the ever do now is kill those with the NEXT virus. I wish there was some way I could have been born without my powers, but Mom had the virus, both my grandpas had the virus, and so did all of their friends._

 

_Mom would have been 57 today. I do miss her, and Grandpa Kotetsu. I barely got to know him before he passed in 2002 at the age of 62. The man was only doing his job as a hero, saving people from a bomb threat, then the bomb blew early. Grandpa Barnaby barely made it out alive, but when he found that Kotetsu wasn’t behind him like he thought… Well, you can imagine what happened. Broke down in tears, couldn’t stand the pain of living the rest of his life without his loving husband._

 

_I was only 2 when he died._

 

_Mom grieved over Grandpa too. She was lonely a lot of her life. Grandpa Barnaby helped as much as he could, but he disappeared two years after his husband’s passing. Mom struggled to raise me, she really tried to help. But living without her grandmother, uncle, or fathers was too much for her to handle. She died of a heart attack when I was 12._

 

_I know that making these late night logs are mandatory because of my targeted NEXT virus. But they’re really helping me to see the real picture, how horrible and disgusting humans can be._

 

_They use genetic mutation shot right into their veins to get “powers”, like they could be called powers at all. Then they become “heroes”. They’re not. They never will be. Real heroes are ones like my mom, like Grandpa Kotetsu and Grandpa Barnaby, Blue Rose, Rock Bison, Fire Emblem, Origami Cyclone, Dragon Kid, Golden Ryan…_

 

_Mr. Legend._

 

_Mom told me all about them, how great they all were. They were amazing back in their day, and I only wish I could have been born back then._

 

_Of course, they’re all dead now. Detectors came and wiped them all out because of the virus. I heard that… it didn’t used to be a virus. People actually praised their real heroes. Now, all the do to the Infected is lock us away and leave us to rot. They don’t call us NEXTs anymore. That’s a praised term. The Infected isn’t. It’s the life I live now, the life I was born into._

 

_But… I have this strange feeling…_

 

_Grandpa Barnaby was never confirmed to be dead. I may be put into tighter security here for saying this in my log, but fuck them all._

 

_I know Barnaby Brooks Jr. is still out there._

 

_It’s rumored he was put into suspension or some shit like that. I’m determined to break out of here and find him. If he is in animated suspension, there’s a possibility he may still be his 50-year-old self. If I could just find him… maybe, just maybe, I could fix this mess of confusion. The only thing is…_

 

_Where is Grandpa?_

  
-End Log-


	2. Chapter 2

Virus

 

His name was Kotetsu Barnaby Brooks, named after his grandfathers who he had barely met. Kotetsu T. Kaburagi was dead when the boy was two, and Barnaby Brooks Jr. was gone before the boy turned five. His mother, Kaede Kaburagi Brooks, was struggling to survive while taking care of a son with the NEXT virus. She was wanted for sure, but she was never caught, hiding in the suburbs of Sternbild in the abandoned home she had grew up in.

 

Her son was also targeted. He was wanted because of his power, his strand of virus that defined how his NEXT powers developed. It was different than any NEXT had developed before. Usually a person was born with the virus, or they gained it later on in their life. Nothing big, just a sudden burst of power and a blue glow.

 

Kotetsu B. Brooks was different.

 

Usually the NEXT virus would develop, at the latest, at 20, and then stick with the person for the rest of their life. Kotetsu had developed his when he was six, but they disappeared after a month of being used. Some said it had hidden, others said it had vanished completely. What really happened was a mystery, but that didn’t stop Kotetsu from trying to bring them back. All his life, he fought to bring them back in any way, but they never came. Until he turned 25, that is.

 

-x-

 

Kotetsu stood up from his computer, looking out the greasy window as a helicopter flew by and shined it’s light in his face. He grimaced with a small grunt. It had been a long day of being picked on by the guards that held him captive in that small cell. Cold stone floor, dirty window, dirty toilet and sink, messy bed, it wasn’t luxury by a long shot. Nothing in the captive NEXT facility was luxury, but it was a place to live without getting killed. Granted, the food was crap, and so were those in charge of security. People escaped all the time, but once that person escaped, they were never seen again, in or out of the facility. It caused a lot of gossip, not that Kotetsu ever heard any of it. He was secluded, kept away from everyone else. It was all because his NEXT power was unknown.

 

No one knew the capabilities he had, only that at one point he had possessed powers, then lost them after only having them for a brief time. With no one known left alive in his family, he was taken captive for safety.

 

“Safety, my ass,” he mumbled to himself. “Not even the water is safe here.”

 

“Shut up in there.” The main guard who was with him nearly 24/7 spoke through the grate at the top of the cell door, his cold, blue eyes glaring at the young man.

 

“Fuck off, Seacrest.”

 

It was miserable in that cell. Kotetsu wasn’t free to do anything that might trigger his power. So, pretty much everything was off limits to him. No visitors, no phone calls, no electronics except his computer. He couldn’t even have a small ball to toss or a yoyo to play with to pass time. It was too risky.

 

Since Kotetsu had began living in his cell at age 13, Jacob Seacrest had been his permanent guard. The man was fresh out of his training academy when he had been assigned to the young boy. He had been 27 years old then . Now, Seacrest was 38, and he was used to being called rude names and being told a numerous amount of times to “fuck off”. He was mainly ignoring it, but seeing Kotetsu grow up through his teenage years only to gain the bad attitude was almost saddening. However, Seacrest had to ignore his pity for the young man. It would have gotten him fired on the spot if he were to show any sort of sympathy for Kotetsu.

 

Kotetsu stared at the grate in the door for a bit before approaching it, grabbing the bars as his stomach growled for the tenth time. “Hey, when’s dinner? I’ve been waiting for hours.”

 

“Food will come soon. You’ve survived this long, you can wait a little longer.”

 

“It’s almost fucking midnight, Seacrest. I’ve been waiting since five!”

 

“Relax. You’ll get food soon enough.”

 

Kotetsu growled a little and kicked the door. “It’s hard to breathe in here. Can’t I open a window or something?”

 

“Afraid not. Too risky.”

 

“Yeah, like everything else in this hell hole.” He plopped onto his cot with a heavy sigh.

 

“It’s not that bad in there.”

 

“This place is a mess.”

 

“It was just cleaned this morning.”

 

“‘Cleaned’ isn’t the word I’d use to describe what they did this morning. They sprayed everything and left.”

 

“You know that’s how they clean. That cell is bacteria free for another week.”

 

“Have you seen the corners of this cell? There are bugs everywhere.”

 

The cell wasn’t the ideal living quarters for anyone, but it was what Kotetsu had been given. Seacrest hadn’t lived in one ever himself, but God only knows why. He fully deserved to live in one, the things he kept secret and to himself.

 

“Nonsense. You’ll live. There aren’t any bugs…”

 

“Smart, you are.” Kotetsu huffed and pulled out a lighter he had in his pocket. “I could kill myself now. Get the pain over with. I’d be with my mom in no time.”

 

“Your mother deserved what she got. She kept her powers a secret for the longest time. She was lucky she wasn’t ever caught.”

 

“You shouldn’t talk about my mom that way. She was one of the best heroes Sternbild ever had, along with my grandfathers.”

 

Talk of Kotetsu’s mother and grandfathers wasn’t brought up very often. Usually the topic stung, other times it caused grief and sorrow, which had no room in the small, dull cell Kotetsu resided in.

 

-x-

 

After another hour of waiting, food finally came for Kotetsu, and he ate with Seacrest inside his tiny cell. The two were inseparable at this point, both having grown together since they were first introduced. Though Seacrest really seemed like an asshole most of the time, he was secretly helping Kotetsu plan his escape from the NEXT facility. Being a full time guard, the older man had seen some things that no human should ever have to see. Burning bodies, women screaming for their dead children, authorities beating up innocent NEXTs, it all had a major effect on Seacrest, and he wished Kotetsu never had to see any of it.

 

“How many were burned today?” Kotetsu’s question came from nowhere, and it troubled Seacrest greatly.

 

“Kotetsu… Why are you interested? It’s filthy, nasty, a subject that you shouldn’t ever be talking about.”

 

“Shut up, old man, tell me how many burned.”

 

That nickname…

 

“... I counted 13 being taken back to the ovens.”

 

“Figures.” Kotetsu leaned against the wall, the dirty tank top he was wearing sticking to the grimy bricks.

 

“Why is it important, might I ask…”

 

“13 bodies burned today. That’s another 13 NEXTs lost to the fire, lost because they were innocent. Tell me what reason they had to be burned alive, Jacob?”

 

Sad as it was, they had no reason to be burned. A majority of NEXTs who were burned turned out to be children who had just barely gained their powers. They were unpredictable, unworthy of life itself because they didn’t have their new power under control.

 

Seacrest gave no reply, and Kotetsu sighed while standing up. “What’s the point of even living anymore if I’m just destined to die at some point? I know there’s a chance I’ll make it out of here alive, but even so, that chance is very slim. Tell me why I still have to live in this terrible place?”

 

Seacrest stood as well and put a hand on Kotetsu’s shoulder. “You know why you need to live… You told me why just last week.”

 

It was risky. Seacrest would be fired for sure, and Kotetsu would be killed instantly. “There’s still that little glimmer of hope, Kotetsu,” Seacrest continued. “If your heart is telling you he’s still alive… then I think you should follow what it’s telling you.”

 

“But what if it’s wrong? What if I get there and he’s dead?”

 

“If your heart is telling you he’s alive, there’s a good chance he’s waiting for you.”

 

“Jacob… Why are you always trying to support me? I’m a captive NEXT. I could attack you at any moment.”

 

“I know you wouldn’t do that to me, Kotetsu.” Seacrest leaned in ever so gently and placed a small kiss on Kotetsu’s neck. “I’m not afraid of you, and even if you do turn against me, I won’t abandon you.”

 

The kiss was something small, but it happened at least once every night when the two were alone and unbothered by the other guards. Their secret friendship was hard enough to conceal, but Jacob wasn’t making it any easier on the two of them by kissing him anytime he pleased. Still, it was a little comfort in the grim world they lived in.

 

The smallest of smiles came across Kotetsu’s lips. “That’s charming. Trying to butter me up with kisses again?”

 

“Only because I love you.”

 

“Oh, bug off.”

 

While Kotetsu had his back turned to him, Seacrest made his move and shoved the Japanese man against the cleanest part of the wall. “I won’t bug off until you do something for me.”

 

“Oh? And what might that something be?”

 

“...Take your shirt off.”

 

“Ah… why?”

 

“Why? You’re filthy, of course. I’m going to wash you up so you look good in the morning. You know it’ll be busy in the morning with the area commissioner coming to the facility. He’s coming specifically to see you.”

 

Kotetsu’s eyes went dull, his brief spark of passion disappearing before Seacrest’s eyes. “Of course he is. Everyone always comes to see me only. I’m the special guy.” He sighed and pushed away from his guard’s grip. “I wish you could understand how much of a one trick pony I’ve become… It’s always because of my NEXT power’s disappearing act.”

 

The air in the cell was stuffy, filled with mildew and mold no doubt, but also the stained remains of the NEXT who was in the cell before Kotetsu. Old, dried blood stained the walls, and no matter how many times the cell was “cleaned”, the stains remained. Kotetsu often had the feeling the blood belonged to an old relative of his… a great uncle or something like that. The man was always told as a boy that his great uncle was special, a bit like him. His powers never fully developed until he was much older, and he kept them a secret from his brother and mother. He, however, didn’t have to deal with the police until he was much older, and that was when the man was placed in that cell, so many years before Kotetsu.

 

The younger man touched a spot on the wall where the dried blood could easily be seen. “For once… I wish my virus would come back.”

 

“Powers,” Seacrest corrected. “What you have, what we both have… It’s not a virus. It’s natural. It’s been happening for many generations, and it’s not going anywhere. Your NEXT powers are something special, Kotetsu. No other NEXT ever has had a power documented quite like yours.”

 

“I don’t even know my power. My power isn’t even documented because it’s unknown.”

 

“That’s what makes it special. No one knows what it is yet, so if worse comes to worse, you’ll be able to stun everybody when they return.”

 

“If they return.”

 

The helicopter that flew by earlier came around again, shining it’s light in the dark cell. Half of Kotetsu’s face was lit up as it passed, Seacrest getting chills down his spine from the dark glare the younger man was giving.

 

“Kotetsu… We need to get you out of here soon.”

 

A simple nod was given, the smallest of smiles gracing his lips when the light shone on the whole of Kotetsu’s face.

 

“Tonight.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was cold. Snow should have been on the ground, but the weatherman had said the toxicity levels in the air were too high for the snow to reach the ground. It was sad. No kid since the early 2000’s had seen snow in their life, no matter where they went. Everything had gone down hill once it was known that the famous Kaede Kabruagi would have a child. Everyone had been scared for their lives, knowing that Kaede had gone through some… complications in her life. She was deemed unstable the year before her son was born due to the emotional trauma she had gone through. Her father had tried to help her, and he was by her side when she delivered her child, but all the help was in vain when the child’s father vowed to never return to Sternbild. In only a few short years, things had exploded.

 

Ouroboros had complete control over the city.

 

Kaede had struggled to fight off the dreaded organization, but try as hard as she might have, nothing worked to hold back Ouroboros. After the takeover of the city, all of the NEXTs went into hiding, being called the Infected, and the NEXT powers were changed to be called the Virus. Everything had fallen so quickly, and most of the famous heroes paid dearly for it, their lives being taken from them without so much as one look of pity.

 

Kotetsu T Kaburagi had perished because of a bomb threat, planned out by Ouroboros as it was later discovered. Barnaby had been so distraught that he was captured two years later due to lack of awareness. Nobody knew what happened to him after he was taken away from Sternbild, the disgusting city that was run by horrible monsters that passed as humans. No one knew who exactly took Barnaby away, only that he was taken while his guard was down. Those who had known him were devastated, and they too were taken advantage of.

 

None of that was Kotetsu B. Brooks’s problem now. All he was concerned about was the cold. He and Seacrest were waiting for the arrival of the Warden, Clinton Garland. He had come early in the morning, about 3 A.M., so the guard and the captive were interrupted in their escape from the facility on that cold December morning.

 

Clinton was a tall man, and very well built.  Long black hair was smooth as could be and straight as an arrow, and it was tied back in a tail with a military-looking hat perched atop his head. He had been known to stop NEXTs dead in their tracks with a single glare. Though as fabulous as it may have seemed to all normal humans, there was but one NEXT that he could not break, and that was the infamous Kotetsu B. Brooks. It was rumored that Clinton had stopped Barnaby Brooks Jr. in his crime fighting path, but it was never confirmed, though heavily believed, that the old NEXT had been taken care of many years previous.

 

“Mr. Brooks,” the man started with a glare to the young NEXT. “I’m sure you know why I’m here this early in the morning.”

 

“I don’t.”

 

“Sir,” Clinton finished. “And I know you do know. I’ve only come at three in the morning for one purpose. My scouts had detected a slight… malfunction in the shield protecting this facility. I have reason to suspect you have something to do with it, whether you know it or not. All signs have been leading back to you, and yet all you do is sit here all day and do nothing, so we think.” He stopped in front of Kotetsu and stared. “Now out with it.”

 

“I have nothing to hide.” Kotetsu glared back just as hard as the Warden was.

 

“I won’t have you lying to my face, Mr. Brooks. Speak now, or you’ll find yourself without food or water for a month.”

 

“I have nothing to hide,” the younger man repeated.

 

“Very well. Seacrest, cuff him.”

 

Without hesitation, Seacrest pulled out a pair of gloves that were slipped over Kotetsu’s hands and hooked them together behind his back. The gloves prevented him from moving his hands, thus preventing an attack.

 

“Hang him up.”

 

Both Kotetsu’s and Seacrest’s eyes widened, the older man stepping back slightly. “Hang him up… Sir, that’s against the international code---”

 

“Do you want to turn in your badge, Seacrest?”

 

There was a pause, silence so intense you could have heard a mouse walking along to it’s hole. “No, Sir.”

 

“Hang him up, then.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” The man turned to Kotetsu, an almost pained look in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he managed to mutter.

 

Kotetsu was grabbed by the wrists and taken outside in the cold to a tall post with a small platform beside it. There was a metal ring near the top of the post facing the platform, and another facing the opposite direction. It was an illegal contraption, yet it was used more often than it should have been. There were blood stains from the previous victim, a little girl of only five years when she had met her cruel fate. It smelled disgusting, the stench of hundreds of NEXTs’ blood driving anyone away from the site.

 

“Get him set up,” Clinton barked at Seacrest, as well as some of his assistants who had arrived with him. “We’ll wait until dawn for the ritual. The whole city will see this man die today, and a great weight will be lifted from the shoulders of every human.”

 

Seacrest and the assistants lowered the metal rings once Kotetsu was on the platform. Both were adjusted to the heights of Kotetsu’s neck and ankles. His hands were uncuffed and cuffed again around the post. He was treated roughly, but he didn’t care. So this was the day. Just as he had felt his grandfather’s presence, he was sentenced to death, and it would be shown to billions of people all around the globe. Kotetsu had been so close. He was going to escape that night, and he had been found out. He knew the Warden knew of his attempted escape. The evidence was clear in his small prison cell on the floor.

 

“Trying to dig your way out. Such a cliché way to escape your fate, young Brooks. Even Wild Tiger could have thought of a smarter way to escape.” Clinton smirked in front of Kotetsu, snapping his fingers loudly to have his assistants switch on huge fluorescent lights that illuminated the post and platform.

 

The buzzing of the lights was nowhere near calming, but it did help Kotetsu gather his thoughts as he stood bound to the post. His unknown powers were apparently so dangerous that he was to publicly be killed, and all for the fear of the people. So the NEXTs had a few that had gone completely nuts. That didn’t mean that all were crazy in the head. It all seemed unfair to the young Japanese man. Then again, his whole existence had been unfair.

 

The small group of men stood near the post for nearly three hours. Clinton and his men weren’t tired in the least, and Seacrest was at least awake, yawning every few seconds and leaning heavily against the post. Kotetsu was sleeping, though painfully as the metal ring dug into his neck and prevented him from breathing properly. He ended up waking several times in those long three hours. But finally, the time came for the execution ritual to begin, and Seacrest was not ready to see his secret best friend killed right in front of him. It was going to be tough, and unless a miracle happened, Kotetsu wasn’t going to make it out alive.

 

A lone TV camera was placed in front of Kotetsu a little less than ten feet away, the power switched on as the young man was slapped hard across the face. “Wake up, infected scum. It’s time for the world to see you die.”

 

Kotetsu woke with a start, crying out at the slap as it had surprised him. Had he been awake, he would have remained silent. He was a tough man to break while conscious.

 

“Good morning, citizens of Sternbild,” Clinton’s voice boomed through the waking city. “This morning at 3 A.M. the man you see on your screens was found guilty of trying to escape his cell, as well as attempting to harm his caretaker, Officer Seacrest.”

 

Though the last part was a flat out lie, Seacrest didn’t dare deny the Warden’s statement. It would have cost him his badge and his life.

 

“Today, I assure all of you will be safe from this day forward, as today, he will die for the crimes he has committed against the human race.”

 

There was a distant cheer coming from the heart of the city, and it made Seacrest sick to his stomach. The people of Sternbild didn’t know Kotetsu’s power, so how would they know if he was dangerous?

 

“Kotetsu Barnaby Brooks has been sentenced to having his air slowly pushed out of him and kept out until he dies, the slow death that he deserves.”

 

“I don’t deserve any of this,” Kotetsu spat back. “And neither did all of those children you murdered last week!”

 

“See? He talks nonsense. This man is trying to make you believe him and be on his side. He is a lying, infected predator who wants to hunt all of you down and take over the city. Thus, he is getting the worst possible death we have to offer.”

 

Clinton turned toward Kotetsu and stood up straighter. “Tighten the rings.”

 

Instantly, Kotetsu felt the ring around his neck grow tighter. He made a small choking noise before relaxing again. “You’re afraid of me, Warden. That’s why you’re making me suffer through my own death. You’d be too scared to make it quick in case my power kicked in.”

 

Clinton said nothing as he watched. His expression was blank and cold, not a single spark of emotion could be detected from him, except the obvious fear in his eyes. Kotetsu could see it, and he knew if some miraculous occurrence were to bring back his powers, the man would be out of there in seconds.

 

Minutes ticked by before the ring finally began to grow uncomfortable. It was harder to breathe for sure, but Kotetsu wasn’t fazed. He still believed something was going to happen. He felt it, and he wanted to stick through to find out if it would happen.

 

Another few minutes gone, and Kotetsu was shaking slightly. He breathed in through his clenched teeth as stress started to get to him. The longer it dragged on, the more he actually feared death and what would come after that. Spots formed in his eyesight as his breathing quickened.

 

-x-

 

A long distance away, there was a tube. It was cold inside the tube as well as frozen. If one was truly listening to the room the tube was in, they would have heard the smallest gasp of air, and then the much louder shattering of glass.

 

It was about time that Kotetsu’s powers reawakened.

 

-x-

 

The ring around Kotetsu’s neck was painfully tight now, and he was struggling to take in any amount of air. Although, when most people would have probably passed out or had let their eyes roll back, Kotetsu held his stare at Clinton, jaw tight with clenched teeth and the most sour expression the young man had ever come up with.

 

“Any time now, Mr. Brooks, you can give in. Your body can’t really handle all this stress, can it?”

 

“You… can… shut the… fuck… up…” Kotetsu hardened his glare as the last breath he could take was inhaled.

 

“You should take back your words, if you can. I won’t be the one with the last words today.” Clinton smiled wide as the cheer from the city grew louder. “Oh, and one more thing. Seacrest, come here.”

 

With hesitation, the guard moved closer to Clinton, trying hard not to show any fear for his friend or himself. “Can I help you, Sir?”

 

“Yes. You can take your turn of dying while your buddy suffocates. Cuff him up.” The Warden stepped back as his assistants flooded in to tie up Seacrest, the guard being startled by the older man’s obvious knowledge that he was a NEXT.

 

“No, you can’t do this to me! What you’re doing is illegal!” Seacrest’s body began to glow blue as he activated his power and slammed a foot into the ground, creating huge ripples in the ground. “You’ll be fired!”

 

“I won’t be fired, Seacrest. I got direct orders from the head man himself to kill the both of you, and I’m not one to disobey my orders, unlike you.”

 

Several of Clinton’s assistants dodged the ripples Seacrest created and attacked him directly, pulling out knives and guns all set on killing the NEXT guard. Though it was hard for Kotetsu to keep consciousness during everything that was happening, he tried his best to focus his energy as he felt a slight twinge of excitement run through his veins. Something big was about to happen, and it wasn’t going to be very pretty.

 

Seacrest jumped into the air rather high using his power. His power was to manipulate the elements around him, so he was able to cause himself to hover in midair, much like Sky High had been able to. It was his most powerful ability, to manipulate the air around him, so naturally it would have made sense…

 

“Jacob Seacrest, son of the late Keith Goodman, you will go down tonight with your friend!” Clinton pulled out a handgun he had hidden in his suit jacket, and aimed it at the floating guard. He was just about to shoot when Kotetsu began to make actual noise again.

 

The Japanese man was struggling against his bonds as hard as he could. He post was moving with Kotetsu’s violent attempts to escape.

 

“Secure the kid! I’ll take care of the guard,” Clinton shouted to his assistants.

 

All assistants at the scene rushed to Kotetsu to hold him back from escaping, but their hard efforts were all for nothing. Kotetsu’s body began to flicker and convulse slightly. He grunted and groaned at the sudden energy that was rushing through his body. After about a minute of struggling, Kotetsu gave a mighty roar and broke his ankles free of of their bonds, his body glowing bright blue, as well as his eyes.

 

Clinton’s attention was pulled to the young man who was now glowing, eyes wide with what was clearly fear, yet his face did not show it. “I don’t believe it…”

 

The distraction was enough to make Seacrest charge up his power and send a huge ball of fast moving air hurtling at the Warden. It was a direct hit, but it didn’t deter the Warden from shooting at Seacrest. The guard just barely dodged the bullet, but he lost energy in the dodge, so he was sent falling back down to the ground.

 

With his ankles free, Kotetsu kicked out at Clinton’s assistants, striking most of them in the face or stomach and bringing them down with ease. He roared again, struggling against the ring that still help his neck in place, though he had bent it enough to allow him to breathe some. Still he was having difficulties, and soon he saw spots once again in his vision. He wanted to help out his friend, save him from hitting the ground hard, but he knew that Seacrest was a tough man and could withstand a heavy impact because of his NEXT power.

 

More assistants seemed to gather at the spot and attack Kotetsu. The  young man tried his best to keep them all away, or at least fight them off. Without the help of Seacrest, it was getting more and more difficult, and someone had gotten back to tightening the ring around Kotetsu’s neck. His air supply was rapidly being cut off, and although he could hold his breath for a good while, Kotetsu felt ready to pass out due to lack of actual air to hold in.

 

Seacrest saw Kotetsu struggling as he hit the ground hard, landing on his feet shakily. He stumbled to the ground, still dodging the bullets Clinton was shooting at him. It was risky, but he was able to see Kotetsu with his newly activated power, and it brought a smile to his face. His friend had finally gotten his power back after so many years, and now he could fight back better than before.

 

“Kotetsu! I’m coming for you!” Seacrest fought his way to the post Kotetsu was hanging off of. He tried to remove the metal ring from a distance, but it was quickly discovered that he couldn’t make it budge.

 

“Seacrest, give up!” Clinton bellowed. “You can’t win! You and Kotetsu will die for your crimes!”

 

“We’ve done nothing wrong,” Seacrest replied. “We’re just trying to survive in a world that has come to hate us for no reason! We haven’t shown our powers freely in years because for the stupid laws you and your higher ups have created. How can you say we’ve committed any crimes?!”

 

“Because I know the NEXT better than anyone ever will. I know how nasty you and your predecessors are! Jake Martinez and Albert Maverick were our gods, and your kind killed them! Ouoroboros was left without a leader, and without guidance, so we fled until James Maverick rose up and took his rightful place at the head of our glorious organization. You NEXTs can and will be stopped if it’s the last thing we do as a unified organization!”

 

Clinton gained a wicked smile across his lips. “Soon, all NEXT will be extinct, and Ouroboros will finally rule the world as it should have when Barnaby Brooks Jr.’s parents were murdered for our gain!”

 

If that didn’t get Kotetsu’s blood boiling again with a firey passion, nothing would have. The young man let loose a mighty roar and strained his neck against the metal ring around his neck. He pulled and pulled until he heard the metal screech in denial.

 

“You… shouldn’t insult my family,” he said quietly and with difficulty.

 

“What was that,” Clinton snapped. “You dare to defy me, boy?”

 

Seacrest, who had dodged several more bullets and was now on the ground behind one of the ripples in the ground, found a smile and a hopeful look as he gazed upon his friend’s glowing figure.

 

“I said, you shouldn’t insult my family, jackass.” Kotetsu looked up with eyes glowing so blue they were almost white. “Nobody insults my family!”

 

There was a burst of energy within Kotetsu, and he groaned at the overload he suddenly had.

 

“Focus, Kotetsu!” Seacrest shouted as a bullet whizzed by his head. “Focus your energy and aim it at Clinton!”

 

As a huge amount of assistants threw themselves on Kotetsu, the young man roared, pulling against the metal ring and snapping it in half. All the assistants who had thrown themselves on Kotetsu were sent flying in all directions. What was left was a brightly glowing heap that was Kotetsu. All that could be heard was his heavy breathing and occasional grunts. Silently, Seacrest cheered for his buddy.

 

“There’s no way…” Clinton stood astonished at the scene before him. Most of his men were knocked out due to Kotetsu’s gain of power, some were even dead.

 

“Kotetsu, get up. Attack him.” Seacrest stood up himself, knowing he wasn’t going to be shot at anymore.

 

The young man grunted as he rose to his feet, the rare morning sunlight peaking through the clouds as backlighting. Still glowing, Kotetsu steadied himself, hearing a thousand voices in his head screaming at him to attack, and that was exactly what he did. He took a ready position and glared at Clinton. Then, taking a deep breath, Kotetsu held one hand above his head to gather up what looked like a ball of energy and launched it at the Warden.

 

The energy ball made a direct hit to Clinton’s stomach, cutting into the flesh deeply with an inhuman screech. All at once, there was huge sigh from many of the bodies, rendering many more of the assistants dead, and CLinton was knocked unconscious.

 

It was a spectacular performance, but as soon as Kotetsu had let loose his attack, a multitude of screams erupted from the city. Police sirens could be heard in the distance, and they were getting closer.

 

“Kotetsu, we need to run.” Seacrest stepped towards his friend, taking him into his arms as soon as he was close enough.

 

“Jacob… my powers.”

 

“I know, but now is not the time to figure out what happened. We need to go. Now.”

 

Kotetsu nodded, pulling away from Seacrest and breaking off a piece of the post with his new strength, then bent some scrap metal around it to keep him from getting splinters. “We need to find my grandpa. I don’t know where he is, but I have a feeling of what direction we have to go.” He gestured with his new walking stick in a direction that was far away from the city.

 

“Out to the Deadlands? Why would he be out there?”

 

“I don’t know, but that’s where we have to go. I can feel something calling me out there.”

 

Seacrest sighed and nodded. “We better get going before the police find us.”

 

Kotetsu didn’t even respond, only heading in the direction he was sure his grandfather was telling him to go. It felt like it was going to be a long trip, but he knew it would be worth it at the end.


	4. Chapter 4

As the guard and the new NEXT left the site of the chaos they had just escaped, a small boy, maybe 12 or 13 years old, watched them leave with wide eyes. He had been sent several days previous to watch them as they performed their escape, though how his master had known it would happen was beyond him. Silently, the boy huddled behind one of the ripples in the ground and opened up his hand, letting a small blue crystal form in his palm. He was quick to remove it as soon as he heard the police approach with their heavy boots on, then he was gone from the site just as quickly.

 

Kotetsu and Seacrest hadn’t yet made it out of the city, just barely on the edge searching for supplies they would need to go out into the Deadlands, upon Seacrest’s repetitive request. Kotetsu only complied to make the man shut up, though he did admit to himself that he had forgotten just how bad the Deadlands could be when one didn’t have a mask to filter out all the pollution and poisonous gases. 

 

They searched for a good day, staying out of sight from anyone as they knew they were surely wanted for their escape. Seacrest was the most paranoid about the escape, and he was worried he would be caught at any moment and be stripped of his badge and uniform, but not like it mattered at that point anyway. He was just worried, and he had good reason to be with a new NEXT at his side, one that had been wanted dead by the world for years. The world had almost got its way, but thank whatever god there was above that Kotetsu had made it out alive and with his powers back and stronger than ever. Now, there was hope for all NEXTs in hiding. Though it had been faint, Kotetsu had felt a huge amount of responsibility put on his shoulders, to pull through and fix the disgusting treatment of his kind, and to find perhaps the most famous NEXT ever to live.

 

Barnaby Brooks Jr. His grandfather was Barnaby Brooks Jr. It was such a proud name, and yet every normal human hated it. They lived in fear of the name. Their only sense of protection came from the knowledge that Barnaby was long dead or secluded somewhere where he couldn’t hurt anyone. 

 

Kotetsu sighed as he sat next to his guard watching the sunset between the smog and toxic clouds. This was going the be a tough journey for sure, and he needed all the strength he could get.

 

He looked over to Seacrest, managing a smile at the older man. “We’ve been out a whole day, Jacob. We’re so far away from that nasty facility.”

 

“We are,” Seacrest replied. “And we’re safe… well, sort of.”

 

“The Warden is out of the way now.”

 

“Not dead, though.”

 

Kotetsu nodded silently, looking back towards the sun, a pair of orange, polarized sunglasses on his face that had been found and cleaned up a little with some spit.

 

“Kotetsu… do you think your grandpa is really out there somewhere, waiting for you… for us?”

 

“I do. I can feel it. It’s like he’s calling for me to come to him.” The Japanese man shook his head. “Wakarimasen.”

 

“Kotetsu, English please.”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The two sat there for a little longer in silence, then Seacrest grabbed Kotetsu’s hand and squeezed it. “We’ll find him. I know we will.”

 

-x-

 

The next morning came early for the two escapees. The sun was actually shining through the clouds, hitting the back of Seacrest’s head. He had been awake for hours, having hardly been able to sleep that night. He had told Kotetsu to sleep through the night though, seeing as the young man needed as much sleep as possible. He hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in years, and now he was curled up on the ground and sleeping peacefully.

 

Seacrest yawned yet again and turned to look at the rising sun. The clouds and sky were illuminated a lovely shade of orange that lifted the guard’s spirits. The sun wasn’t too overpowering in terms of brightness, but the radiation that came with it wasn’t very pleasant without a proper suit or mask, both of which neither man had. So it was clear what their goal had to be for the day; find some masks and supplies to last them through their long journey. Kotetsu had suggested they leave right away, but Seacrest knew better than to go out into the Deadlands without any sort of protection. 

 

Though the young man well deserved his sleep, Seacrest knew they had to get moving before they were caught. No doubt their names were posted all over the city at that point, so they had to move quickly if they were to be successful on their journey.

 

“Kotetsu…” Seacrest put a hand gently on Kotetsu’s shoulder and shook him. “We need to get moving.”

 

“Mmm… five more minutes, Mom.”

 

Seacrest winced a little. Kaede wasn’t around anymore to wake up her son, and Seacrest felt really bad about it. The young man had never known his father, so it was a wonder how Kotetsu got to be so well built and protective. He supposed Kotetsu had found a need to protect his mother, though in the end, it was all pointless.

 

“Kotetsu, we need to get moving. We’ll be caught if we don’t move now.”

 

Kotetsu uncurled and rolled onto his back, yawning and opening his eyes slowly. “Seacrest… What time is it?” He sat up, hugging himself due to lack of a coat to wear that cold December morning. 

 

“Just after seven. Here.” Seacrest removed his coat and put it around Kotetsu’s shoulders. “You need that more than I do.”

 

“Thanks…” The two sat in silence, watching the sunrise until Kotetsu felt the need to get up and relieve himself a few feet away. Upon returning, he picked up his walking stick and headed off towards the center of the city. 

 

Seacrest scrambled to get up and follow the young man. They moved to the edge of a rather large building, searching for equipment that would be needed. They managed to find another coat before they had to hide from a few passing people. Some food was found, though it wasn’t the best to eat, so they left it behind. 

 

Moving to another building, the two dug and searched, though found nothing useful to them. They only dared to search near the bases of buildings, making it harder for them to be seen. By noon, they had made it to one of the main pillars of the city. The goddess statue stood proudly, sparkling golden in the minimal sunlight. It was a wonder how the great statue had remained in such a good condition after years and years of war and fighting amongst humans and NEXTs. 

 

Kotetsu gazed up at the statue, face blank of any expression. Sure, he admired the statue,but she had been a symbol of equality and peace, both of which weren’t present ever in his life. He let out  a sigh and shook his head. “Pity.”

 

“What? Kotetsu, I think I found some masks we can wear.” Seacrest stumbled over some piles of rubble before he returned to Kotetsu’s side with a couple of gas masks. “These should hold up pretty good. They’re rather new.”

 

The young man took one of the masks and examined it, determining it safe to wear.  He put it on and took a few deep breaths. “They’ll work,” came his muffled voice. 

 

“Great! This’ll make searching easier.” Seacrest smiled at Kotetsu as he put his mask on. Now, their identities were hidden a little better, Kotetsu wearing his polarized sunglasses to hide even more. 

 

They continued on through the day, searching and finding items that they would need, though finding fresh food had proved to be harder than they anticipated. Even the stuff they found in restaurant dumpsters were not fit to eat. It was better left to the dogs roaming about the city. 

 

Oh, the dogs, of course. The dogs had followed Seacrest and Kotetsu for miles. They were just another danger the two had to face as they traveled. One wrong move and both men would be attacked. The wild dogs of Sternbild had gotten out of hand once the mayor of the city handed his position over to the leader of Ouroboros. Since then, it hadn’t just been the dogs that had gotten out of hand, but also the members of Ouroboros and their horrifyingly identifiable black suits, red shirts, black vests, and black ties. There wasn’t any order to the city, just obey or be killed. It was one of the reasons why all the heroes had been the first ones to go.

 

All day, the dogs followed Kotetsu and Seacrest. They were perhaps just as hungry as the pair of NEXTs, if not more. Both parties were without food, and both knew they needed to survive. The dogs had an advantage though, knowing the streets of the city like their pack members. Kotetsu and Seacrest were without that knowledge.

 

At the end of the day, the dogs had left, and several Ouroboros officers had been dodged in order to get food. Kotetsu was exhausted, having not been used to so much activity in one day. True, he was well built, but he was very out of shape when it came to doing things over an extended period of time. Seacrest was worried for him that night as they settled in next to Stern Bridge. The cold wind that blew was blocked slightly by the bridge, but that didn’t stop it from being extremely cold.

 

The two didn’t talk much to each other that night. It was a depressing time. The longer they stayed in the city, the fainter Kotetsu’s calling became. He was starting to doubt that there really was a calling in the first place, and that maybe his grandfather was really dead. Maybe it was all just wishful thinking that Barnaby was still alive and wanting to see his grandson. Either way, Kotetsu was very quiet as he doubted himself. He couldn’t sleep properly, so he sat awake while Seacrest slept on the ground that was composed of nothing but dirt and trash.

 

-x-

 

It was around three A.M. Kotetsu was still wide awake when he saw a flash of blue not even ten feet away from him. He was instantly on high alert, and he grabbed his makeshift walking stick to protect himself.

 

The flash came again, closer this time and with foot steps. When it was just five feet away, within striking distance, it stopped, and the dim blue light moved up to the face of a young boy. He had black hair and light colored eyes, though what color, Kotetsu couldn’t tell because of the blue illumination. 

 

“Don’t be threatened,” the boy said quietly. “We need to move though. You’ll be found out in the morning if you wait here.”

 

Kotetsu was hesitant, and he remained sitting as he spoke. “Who are you?”

 

“My name identity isn’t important right now. What is important is you getting out of here fast. You and your friend.” He gestured to Seacrest, who was snoring slightly.

 

Kotetsu looked over at his guard and shook him awake. He put a finger to the other man’s lips to keep him quiet as he woke, then pulled him into a sitting position. 

 

“Good,” the boy commented. “Gather your things and let’s go. Don’t worry about your food. The dogs can have it.”

 

“How are we to survive then?” Kotetsu slowly got up and began packing his things into an old backpack he had found.

 

“You’ll have plenty of food later. For now, you can make it until we reach our destination. It’ll be about a day and a half of traveling, so we had better get moving now.”

 

Though Kotetsu nodded, he wasn’t sure about this kid. However, there was a strong feeling he came from where they needed to go, and with that in mind, Kotetsu was ready to travel any distance.

 

Seacrest, who was still attempting to wake up, struggled to gather his things and pack up. Kotetsu ended up taking over and packing for him, then hauled the older man up onto his feet. With Seacrest still being half asleep, Kotetsu ended up picking him up and carrying him as their journey began.

 

“So, who exactly are you, and why did you come find us?” Kotetsu was curious about an hour into their walking, placing them at least outside of the city and into a deserted plain of dirt, dust, and trash.

 

“My name is Ryker. I’m the grandson of Blue Rose.” He held up his hand and produced a glowing blue ice crystal to prove his lineage.

 

“Blue Rose? She was one of the best heroes…”

 

“I know. I’m proud to be her descendant. You should be proud of you lineage too. You’re the grandson and son of three of the best heroes ever, if not the very best.”

 

“Wild Tiger, Barnaby Brooks Jr, and Kopy Kat,” Kotetsu recited the hero names of his grandfathers and mother.

 

“The most legendary for sure.”

 

“But they were all killed. How can they be legendary?”

 

“Just because someone is killed doesn’t mean they can’t be legendary. And besides, you shouldn’t have your mind set so heavily on your family’s fate.” Ryker smiled as he looked to the east.

 

Kotetsu hoped the boy was right in what he had said, about his mind being so set on the deaths of his mother and grandfathers. If  what he knew in his heart was true, there was hope for the city of Sternbild once again. It would be a day of celebration for sure, and Kotetsu couldn’t wait to be there to see it.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a warmer day, the sun trying to peek out as it rose behind the clouds that same morning. The three travelers were relatively silent as they trekked on. Seacrest felt the most awkward in the silence, as he was usually a very talkative person. But seeing as Kotetsu had a very serious look, and the boy wasn’t yet fully trusted, the guard kept his mouth shut. It was probably best anyway in the tense moment.

 

Though it was the middle of December, poor treatment of the environment caused most winters to be warm since the early 2000’s. Seacrest and Kotetsu had known this way of life for most of their lives. Kotetsu had yet to see a single snowflake, and Seacrest had only seen them sparsely in his younger years. Now, no snow ever fell, and the only white Christmas anyone would get was if the fog was thick.

 

Kotetsu still did not trust Ryker very much, and he was glad for the mask he wore so he could easily hide his glares. The mask also helped greatly to filter out clean air to breathe. Otherwise, the trio more than likely would have been dead in minutes outside of the city.

 

In the light of morning, Kotetsu could finally see that Ryker’s eyes were pale yellow, not the color he had been expecting, but the boy’s eyes certainly popped out against his black hair and slightly dark skin. Still, they gave Ryker and eerie look. With those eyes, Kotetsu still was not willing to fully trust Ryker, even though the boy seemed to know his way around.

 

Ryker was wearing a mask similar to Kotetsu’s. God only knew where he was carrying it earlier in the day when it was still dark out. The boy was so small and carried very little in terms of storage. However, he had surprised both his fellow travelers when he had shown just how much muscle he was supporting, much more than a boy his age should have. It humored Ryker that they were surprised to see him well on his way to having a muscle mass similar to Kotetsu’s.

 

Midday came quickly, and with the distant sound noon bell behind them, they took a small break for rehydrating. Ryker had carried no food with him on his journey, so he had been without food for several days. He laughed when Seacrest complained at having no food. The guard had been so used to having three square meals a day, and he had known that actually getting food would be harder out in the deadlands. Seacrest did not expect to have absolutely no food at all.

 

After the short break, the travelers continued on their journey. The closer they got to their destination, the more excited Ryker became, talking more and talking about all the training he had been doing with a small man, whose name neither Seacrest nor Kotetsu caught. Apparently the man being spoken of had helped Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. In what way, Ryker didn’t say, but the mentioning of Kotetsu’s grandfathers sparked interest in both the young man and Seacrest. It took a little while, and it was the end of the day before Kotetsu really started to trust Ryker and where he was leading them. He seemed to know a lot about the history of Sternbild’s heroes, and it was that fact that made Kotetsu feel more comfortable, the most comfort and trust he had experienced in countless years.

 

The sunsetting had caused Kotetsu to take out his sunglasses and put them on his face. He didn’t know how many more times he would get to use them, but he was growing a liking to them, as they with the mask hid his identity extremely well. Thought the Deadlands were mainly empty and very dead, Kotetsu managed to find small comfort in the setting sun, a luxury he didn’t get to experience at all when he lived in the NEXT facility.

 

Night took over quickly, as did the cold wind. Kotetsu hugged Seacrest’s uniform jacket close around him with one hand, his walking stick in the other. Seacrest had a hat on that covered his ears and was lined with fur, a standard hat for most of the guards in the NEXT facility during the winter. Ryker was the only member of the small party that didn’t have any warm clothing on, claiming he was fine without anything warm. He was used to the cold anyways.

 

They finally stopped at about one in the morning. Almost a full 24 hours of traveling had been put in, and Seacrest had given the last of his energy about two hours before they finally stopped, being carried by Kotetsu the whole time he was out.

 

Seacrest was a bit disoriented when he woke after being set on the ground. The wind howled mercilessly around the three, but the guard didn’t feel much of it due to being pulled into Kotetsu’s lap gently. He looked up at the young man and smiled gently, raising his hand to touch Kotetsu’s face. “Thank you… Sorry you have to endure all this. I was hoping our trip to see your grandpa would have been a little easier than this.”

 

“Hush. You need to restore your energy. I had to carry you for two hours because you collapsed in exhaustion.” Kotetsu put his hand over Seacrest’s.

 

“I...what? I didn’t know I pushed myself to my limit. Sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize. Like you said, this trip is harder than you thought. It’s harder than I though originally as well.”

 

The two talked quietly for a little longer, then Seacrest sat up a little a pressed a kiss to Kotetsu’s cheek. “Sorry, I haven’t been able to kiss you for a few days.”

 

“It’s alright, Jacob. Please, quit apologizing for things. We’re very busy and distracted. I’m not going to get mad at you if you forget a kiss now and then.”

 

Ryker, being slightly confused, spoke up about the two men’s relationship. “So are you two, like, dating or something? You seem to be flirting a lot.”

 

“No, we aren’t dating.” Kotetsu looked at Ryker’s gently illuminated face. “Our relationship is just friendship. Platonic.”

 

“Oh… I didn’t mean to assume.”

 

“Don’t worry, you’re the first to ever ask that question.” Kotetsu smiled and closed his eyes. “Someday, though, I would like to go deeper in a relationship. Maybe not with Jacob, but with someone I trust and love.”

 

Seacrest didn’t respond, out cold from exhaustion once more.

 

“Why not Jacob? I mean, yeah you might not get kids or anything, but that’s not what love is about. If you love Jacob, then you should deepen your relationship with him.”

 

“I do love him, but right now, that love is purely platonic. Neither of us really have the time to actually settle down and go deeper.”

 

“When our journey ends, you may have a little time.”

 

Kotetsu nodded as he looked back down at Seacrest. “I might like that. I haven’t gotten  a proper day’s rest in years.”

 

-x-

 

Since they were a good day away from Sternbild, the three were allowed a little time to sleep in some. Ryker had an alarm set on the watch he wore for seven in the morning, right before the sun rose. The boy was awake much longer before the alarm went off, and when it did, he finally looked over at his two companions and smiled.

 

Kotetsu and Seacrest were hugging each other tight to stay warm, and it looked mighty comfortable. As comfortable as it was, however, they had to be woken. If they moved fast, they might reach their destination a little after noon.

 

“Jacob, Kotetsu. It’s time to wake up, guys.” Ryker stood up and patted his pants to rid them of the dry dirt that had gathered on them. 

 

Seacrest woke first, opening his eyes slowly with a yawn, then he glanced up at Kotetsu, whom he was curled up into. He couldn’t help but smile and kiss the young man on the jaw. “Kotetsu…”

 

“Mmm…”

 

“Kotetsu, time to wake up.”

 

It took a little persuasion, but Kotetsu finally was up and getting ready to leave, Seacrest do so as well and Ryker watching the area carefully. On the horizon, the boy could see their destination, and he was excited to see his companions’ reactions.

 

After almost 20 minutes of packing things up, the three started moving once more. Kotetsu questioned how much further they had to go, and Ryker pointed out the destination on the horizon, two posts standing just barely visible to the naked eye.

 

Being able to see their destination finally motivated Kotetsu and Seacrest more than Ryker was expecting, and they moved at a much faster pace than the day before. Ryker’s excitement level from the day before went out the window and was skyrocketed for the new day. The excitement stayed high among the group even until they were an hour away, and an hour ahead of schedule. There was certainly some well deserved rest ahead once they were safe at their destination.

 

Despite being highly excited and energized, Kotetsu slowed when they were a mere mile away. He felt like he recognized the place, but the obvious sign that hung between the two posts was unreadable from their position. Something deep inside of him told him that this place was home, that it was somewhere he had been before, and maybe he had when he was very young. A event that occurred that far back, however, was lost on Kotetsu. 

 

Even from a mile away, both Seacrest and Kotetsu could tell their final destination was a small, abandoned town. As they got closer, the town showed signs of being a very cultural town at one point. Kotetsu was astounded once they were past the entrance to the town, being able to read most of the signs that were written in Japanese.

 

“ _Oh my god_ ,” he whispered in his native language.

 

“Kotetsu, English,” Seacrest reminded.

 

The young man turned to look at Seacrest as if the guard were crazy. “Jacob, the language on these signs and buildings… it’s Japanese. That’s my native language. This town was full of people like me!” Kotetsu then looked at Ryker, who was smiling knowingly. “Ryker… what is this town?”

 

“Well, I should think you’d know it, even though you’ve never been here.”

 

Kotetsu looked back in front of him, glancing over the dirt roads, the empty buildings and the many signs he could actually read, and he took off his mask and breathed in the clean, country air. 

 

“Oriental Town…”

 

“You would be correct, young man,” A soft and gentle voice said.

 

All three turned to look at the new person who had spoken, and Seacrest’s jaw dropped. Ryker smiled wide and put his hands on his hips. Kotetsu had heard that voice before, and he couldn’t bring himself to control his sudden flood of tears.

 

Standing before them, a tall man who was as tall as Kotetsu was dressed in a cut off t-shirt and old pants that fitted his god-like legs, worn white boots, a pair of thick framed glasses, and somewhat short blond hair that curled up on the ends. He was older, but he was gentle and kind looking. He had seen many things in his life, and of all the things that had happened to him, this was one of the best days he had ever experienced.

 

Kotetsu dropped his mask and backpack, Seacrest’s jacket slipping off of his shoulders. He couldn’t manage to say anything but one simple word that was full of raw emotion that he hadn’t experienced in so many years.

 

“Grandpa…”


	6. Chapter 6

“It’s been awhile, hasn’t it, Kotetsu?”

A proper response wasn’t even given to Barnaby, just a huge and desperate hug from his grandson, to which he returned the hug with just as much love. He knew Kotetsu’s answer very well. It had been a very long time since the two had last seen each other. Kotetsu had only been a young boy struggling to pronounce his R’s correctly.

Kotetsu was normally a strong man, physically and emotionally. However, the sight of his very much alive grandfather shattered the wall he had put up, and the tears came in steady streams as he hugged Barnaby. Kotetsu’s shoulders shook, and his legs felt weak, but he couldn’t let down all of his guard. Still, Seacrest rushed to Kotetsu’s aid, helping him stand properly as he continued to hug Barnaby.

It was a good five minutes of hugging and soothing petting before Kotetsu and Barnaby finally stepped back from each other. Barnaby smiled warmly, his hands resting on Kotetsu’s shoulders. “You look so much like your mother… You have her eyes.”

Kotetsu gave a choked laugh as he wiped away his tears. “Mom always told me I looked like Grandpa Kotetsu.”

“You do. You look very much like him. Your bangs fall in the same way his used to.” Barnaby reached his hand up to run a hand through Kotetsu’s thick hair.

Kotetsu laughed again, looking back at Seacrest and thanking him for holding him up. “Jacob has told me that a lot too. He’s a big Wild Tiger fan.”

Seacrest blushed a little as he stood back, nodding silently.

Barnaby chuckled. “Nothing to be ashamed of in that. I was his biggest fan, still am really.”

There was a moment of silence, Kotetsu looking down at the ground and swallowing. “I… felt that you were still alive somehow. It was rumored you were put into suspended animation.”

Barnaby nodded slowly. “I requested that I was put into suspension. I was not needed at the time, and had I tried to escape to anywhere else, I would have been killed. So I had myself put into suspension, to save myself and my power from Ouroboros. I also wanted to preserve myself for this exact moment. I knew that you would by no means be contained for your whole life. I wanted to save you from a fate you nearly escaped.”

More silence followed before Barnaby sighed and rubbed his neck, biting his bottom lip. “Your power disappearing when you were younger… I was responsible for that. You were too powerful. But I knew that with that power, you were destined to save Sternbild, the world, from Ouroboros.”

“Wait… you were able to control my power?” Kotetsu looked very confused. “How did you manage that?”

“I had help from an old friend of mine. We’ll meet him later today. But it was the best decision to prevent your power from overpowering you before you were ready. After all… two powers is a lot to handle as a kid.”

Stunned as he was, Kotetsu couldn’t blame his grandfather. Having two powers as a kid was surely a tough issue to deal with, not only for a child, but for the family of the child as well. “I imagine I was rather shocked. Two powers isn’t very common, is it?”

“No. In fact, scientists and doctors have narrowed the chance of having two powers down to one in 2,000,000 chance. You’re a rare person, Kotetsu.”

“One in 2,000,000?” Seacrest moved forward a bit nervously. “Um… and is it entirely impossible for two people with two powers to exist at the same time?”

“It’s never happened before,” Barnaby replied. “...You’ve been hiding something for a while now, haven’t you?”

The guard looked at the ground and nodded. “I… I have two powers. I thought it strange when I was a child. No one in my lifetime had ever had two powers at the same time. When Kotetsu’s powers activated the other day… Well, I was afraid to tell him. I’ve always been afraid.”

Kotetsu looked at his guard, his best friend, who had kept that secret from him for many years, and only now just confessed. He knew what Seacrest’s first power was, but the second was lost on him.

Knowing that there was still a lot to be discussed, Barnaby sighed and smiled. “We have a lot to talk about, but it’s best if we head inside. There’s a storm headed our way, and it’s going to be nasty. Storms out here are the worst to get caught in.” The blond waved his hand, motioning for the remaining three to follow him. Together in mostly silence, they carried all their things across the town to a smaller building that looked like it used to be an old bar, and upon entering through the heavy iron door, the inside did look like a bar, some bottles of alcohol here and there that hadn’t been opened in several years.

“This is home base,” Barnaby explained. “This is the place where we’ll be planning out everything and gathering up supplies. You are safe here. No one can get in without someone letting them in. Here is where we will not be sleeping however. Make sure you have everything. We still have a little ways to go.”

Barnaby moved to the back of the bar, revealing a door leading to a tunnel. He opened the door, then flipped a switch that turned on several lights in the long tunnel. The buzzing was a bit eerie, but the party entered the tunnel nonetheless and traveled for about ten more minutes before they came upon a ladder. Barnaby stepped to the side and motioned for Kotetsu to climb up first. “You’ll want to be the first up. Just keep moving once you get to the top so we can follow.”

Kotetsu looked at his grandfather and swallowed. “Okay…” He stepped forward and grabbed the rung of the ladder just above his head. The ladder was tall, but it wasn’t long before Kotetsu reached a door above his head. He reached up and pushed it open as hard as he could, as it was also an iron door much like the one at the front of the bar. Below him, the rest of the party blinked at the sudden additional light flooding into the tunnel. 

When Kotetsu stepped through the door and righted himself, so stood dead silent, looking around the old house that he was standing in. It was all too familiar to him, though he had only been in the house when he was very young. Still, a brief flicker of a memory sparked in his mind, and he recognized the place instantly.

“This is Mom’s old home…”

“Indeed, it is,” Barnaby replied, pulling himself out of the tunnel with a grunt. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in this house since I met your Grandpa. This was like a second home to me, until Anju passed away. Then Kotetsu and I moved in with Kaede and stayed here full time. It wasn’t much long after we moved in that Muramasa was arrested and taken to that NEXT facility. If my history is correct, the cell you stayed in was the one he was put in.”

Kotetsu looked back at his grandfather and smiled. “I haven’t been here since I was a baby. I can’t believe it’s still standing after all these years.”

The four moved to the back of the house, where Barnaby’s and Ryker’s rooms were. Their stuff was put in he corner of Ryker’s room, which was going to be Kotetsu's and Seacrest’s room instead of Ryker’s.

“Alright, now you two need to meet a few more people,” Barnaby said to Kotetsu and Seacrest. “It's more that just Ryker and I who live here.” He led them to the back of the house and out the back door to a rather large building that looked like a greenhouse and a scientific lab mixed together. Both seacrest and Kotetsu were a bit wary of the building because it looked much like the NEXT holding facility, but they trucked on, determined to not be manipulated by Ouroboros any longer.

Inside the building was very white and bright, so bright that Kotetsu squinted and cringed a little as soon as he stepped inside. The other three were not as affected by the brightness, especially Ryker and Barnaby. They led the way through the building silently, a single destination in mind as they walked. The silence gave Kotetsu chills, and it reminded him just how serious Barnaby had once been about his work.

Finally they came upon a door next to several windows that looked into the room the door led to. The glass wasn't exactly very clear to look through, having the frosted look to it. But the door had a slot for a name tag, and that name tag read the name of yet another person Kotetsu was excited to meet. He didn't know the man was still alive, and it really surprised him to walk in the room and see the small man hard at work on a suit.

“Saito, I have a few people to introduce to you,” Barnaby started as he walked towards the small man. “They'll be needing your help sometime in the near future, but for now they'll just know of you.” He turned to Kotetsu and Seacrest. “These two are Jacob Seacrest and my grandson, Kotetsu. I'm sure you remember him.”

Saito turned around to see Kotetsu and Seacrest, and he said something really quiet, so quiet that Kotetsu and Seacrest struggled to hear him.

“Um...pardon my asking,” Seacrest spoke up a little quietly. “But, what do you mean we'll be needing Mr. Saito's help soon, Mr. Brooks?”

“Please, just call me Barnaby. You two have come here for another reason that's unknown to you. Ryker, Saito, me, and a few others have been planning to take back Sternbild from Ouroboros. It'll be tough, but now we have you two. We have the advantage.”

Ryker and Saito nodded in agreement.

“Wait, who else is helping you out here,” Kotetsu asked while tilting his head.

“Others like you and Jacob. Descendants of the original heroes who are fed up with the treatment of NEXTs in the world. Come, I'll introduce you to the team.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is kinda short. Writers block is a bitch sometimes.


	7. Chapter 7

The group, which now included Saito, moved on in the building to an open room that very much looked like an old recreational gym. There were treadmills, weight lifting machines, rock walls, and much more all over the huge room. Clearly the room was underground, as the outside of the building gave no hint that such a large room existed. The room was used for training obviously, but it was much too big for Barnaby and Saito to be training just one boy and now two adults. There had to be more,and sure enough there came a rush of electricity through the air as two people rushed into the room, just barely being out of the way of the small group.

Barnaby huffed slightly and put his hands on his hips. “Ming, Ling! Watch it!”

“Sorry, Sir,” both shouted as they moved to the other side of the room, a blue glow surrounding each of them. They shot bolts of lightning at each other, loud booms following each bolt.

Barnaby sighed and rubbed his temples. “Those two are Ming and Ling, the twin offspring of Dragon Kid. Ming is the older one.” He pointed to the more feminine looking figure. “She's got more spunk than her mother ever did, for sure. Ling is just the same, though he likes to get into more trouble than his sister. They're both 25.”

Kotetsu looked at his grandfather with a raised eyebrow. “They're the same age as me… yet they weren't in a holding facility?”

“I raised them since they were babies. It’s a shame they don't know their mother very well. Pao-Lin was too scared to take care of them herself. She wanted the best for them, so she gave them to me to look after. She was dead within a week of giving them to me…”

The twins let out several shouts at each other, laughing as they dodged attacks. They got closer to the group, and Barnaby was about to yell at them again before there was a huge flash of light, and the twins appeared on the far side of the room once more. They giggled watching the reaction of Seacrest, who had nearly jumped out of his own skin with a rather feminine shout. The guard’s face was very red.

After Seacrest had calmed down, letting out a few curses of his own, Ming and Ling dropped to the floor and walked over to the platform the group was on, climbing up the ladder in a much calmer manner than before. They smiled wide, breathing heavily and giggling still.

“Sorry for scaring you,” Ming said to Seacrest. “My brother and I are a bit much to handle upon first introductions.” She giggled as her brother punched her arm.

“Don't listen to her! We're perfectly fine! You're just weak to be scared by us.” Ling dodged his sister's return punch, causing the two to start up another round of roughhousing. Barnaby quickly put that to an end though with a clearing of his throat.

“Ming, Ling, I'd like you to meet my grandson, Kotetsu. He's your age.” Barnaby gestured towards Kotetsu. “He'll be training alongside you two, and Benjamin.”

“Bee? We haven't seen him around since yesterday,” Ling said.

“He's kept to himself again,” Ming added.

“You two keep running him off, I swear…” Barnaby rolled his eyes and looked down at Saito. “Go see if you can find Benjamin. I'm sure he's off meditating somewhere.”

The small man nodded and turned to return back to his lab, where most of his equipment was set up. Seacrest watched him go with some interest, but his attention was soon brought back to the twins when Barnaby mentioned his name.

“This is Jacob Seacrest, Kotetsu's old guard. As I know it, the two are close, so it's best to make them partners for now.”

“How old is he,” Ming asked.

“A little older than Benjamin. 38 if my information is correct.” Barnaby looked to Seacrest for conformation, which he got from the blond guard.

Tilting his head slightly, Ling was at Seacrest’s side in little time, getting a closer look at the guard's hair. “...Is this green dye? Back here at the bottom?”

Seacrest flushed a little. “Y-yeah… it marked me. Showed the other guards I was special.”

“Special, how?”

“I was to only be Kotetsu's guard. I didn't guard any other cell other than his once he arrived at the holding facility.”

A dark look came across Kotetsu's face, remembering the Warden and what he had done. Truly NEXTs were not safe anywhere, not even in the city they were once praised.

The twins jumped at such a dark look. “Oi, what's with that,” Ming exclaimed.

“My apologies,” Barnaby said while getting in front of Kotetsu. “My grandson has been through quite a lot his whole life, and that holding facility was not the best place for him to grow up.”

“Still no need for that look…” Ling grabbed his sister and swallowed nervously.

“He won't hurt you. This is the first time in his life that he's been around so many NEXTs. I imagine it's a bit overwhelming at times.” The older blond took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, you two, have you been training on what I've told you?”

“A little...but it's still tough to perform,” Ling admitted.

“Could you show us how again,” Ming asked.

“Really, you two…” Barnaby sighed and moved past the twins, his grandson, and Seacrest, climbing up onto the railing and standing perfectly balanced. “Watch closely, because I'm not going to do this again.”

“Wait, Grandpa!” Kotetsu lurched forward, but he watched in complete shock as Barnaby leaned forward off the railing.

With a smile on his face, Barnaby moved to a diving position, heading for a slab of concrete jutting out of the ground. He activated his power just before using his hands to roll off of the slab and onto some old tumbling mats that ran the length of the entire room. His arms and legs worked fast as he sprinted across the room and up the wall to the ceiling. There he grabbed some of the support bars and launched himself at an angle towards the mats, once again in a diving position. He did half of a front flip with his dominant leg out, and he connected to the mats hard and fast. His finishing position was a crouch with his dominant leg out, head facing the same direction while the rest of his body faced out.

The twins cheered as Barnaby stood finally, as did Seacrest. Kotetsu stood amazed with wide eyes and jaw slack. He knew Barnaby Brooks Jr was one of the best heroes in history, but that had been the first real time he had seen his grandfather work his magic, and magic it was nothing short of.

Ming and Ling took off to do the routine themselves as Barnaby moved out of the way. Soon they were doing flips and adding in their own touches to the routine as they practiced their hearts out. Barnaby watched them with his smile turning into a smirk. He looked up at Kotetsu and winked. As soon as he got back up to the platform, he was laughing at the sight of his grandson's face. “You should really see yourself right now.”

“...I'm speechless! That was amazing!”

“Oh, it was nothing big at all. It was a small routine used to train the twins. They're so competitive sometimes.” Barnaby chuckled and shook his head. “It's like they're still kids.”

“Wait, so if you were given the responsibility to take care of them,” Seacrest spoke up. “Then who took care of them the time you were in suspension?”

“Saito and Benjamin did. They've been like brothers to the twins, or at least Benjamin has. Saito is like an uncle I guess, and I'm like a father, of course. It's an odd little family, but it's been nice to have a family again…” Barnaby voice trailed off as he remembered his late husband. He had shed so many tears in the previous years, but now was not the time to shed more. He couldn't look weak in front of his grandson. And yet, the tears threatened to fall.

To both Barnaby's and Seacrest’s surprise, Kotetsu moved quickly and hugged his grandfather. It was a tight, meaningful hug, full of just as much emotion as Barnaby was. The older blond gave up on all attempts of keeping cool and hugged Kotetsu tight. “Thank you,” he whispered through his tears.

“You miss him a lot… It probably doesn't help that I look like him.” Kotetsu hugged his grandfather even tighter.

“I do miss him. I've spent so many years without him by my side. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him.”

“It's okay, I think about my mom all the time too… We've both lost people we love to Ouroboros. It's time we get them back.” Kotetsu stepped back and put his hands on Barnaby's shoulders and squeezed them.

The hair, the skin, the eyes, it was all so much like Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, the man Barnaby had loved for so much of his life. It was almost too much for him to handle, but the blond managed a smile as he wiped away his tears. “I lost all my family to Ouroboros. It is time to get them back.”

At that moment, Saito came back with a man who was well built but small. He couldn't have been any taller than 5’6”. His hair was near snow white, it was very platinum blond. His eyes were an icy blue color, yet his face was very calm, hardly a single line to blemish the perfect face. He smiled at Kotetsu and bowed slightly. “Hello, I'm Benjamin Karelin. You must be Barnaby's grandson. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

Kotetsu bowed back. “As it is to meet you. You're the son of Origami, correct?”

“Yes that is correct. A lineage I am more than proud of.”

The brunet smiled and chuckled a little. “I think we all should be proud of the fact that we are descendants of the best heroes ever.”

Barnaby looked down at Saito. “Thank you for finding him. You can go back to working on the suits.”

Saito nodded and turned to leave, his lips moving but hardly being heard by anyone but Barnaby. The blond rolled his eyes and sighed. “I'm not that emotional…”

When Saito left, the twins caught sight of Benjamin, and they both screeched out his nickname they had given him, making themselves suddenly appear with the large flash again. Seacrest yelped once more, though not as feminine as the time before.

Benjamin was suddenly flooded with the attention of the twins, their excited chatter echoing in the large room. Barnaby didn't appreciate it too much, so he turned to leave the room, motioning for Seacrest and Kotetsu to follow.

“Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, you two will be training with those three. It'll be rough, but we need to start getting things done before we head to the city. There's a lot to learn.” Barnaby sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. “Saito has been working hard to come up with suit designs. Ming and Ling have dragon themed suits, and Benjamin's is bee themed. Sato just needs to know your favorite animal, or an animal you appreciate a lot.”

“Oh man, I love foxes,” Seacrest piped up. “I just wish I could have been able to see one in the wild before they were endangered.”

“Foxes are cool, but I like fast animals, ones that can get away from things quickly or track down their prey in seconds. Cheetahs are more for me.” Kotetsu smirked at his guard, which Seacrest just rolled his eyes and smirked back.

“Fox and cheetah. I'll let Saito know right away.” The former hero led the two back out of the building, fighting high winds that had suddenly come up with the approaching storm, and back into the old house. Ryker was left behind with the twins and Benjamin.

“I would suppose you two are hungry,” Barnaby said over his shoulder as they moved to the kitchen.

“I'm starving,” Seacrest said with a blush.

“Not surprising. A guard in top shape like you has got to be very hungry after such a long journey. I know Kotetsu is too, but he's not going to admit it. So much like your mother…” The man got out a wok with a smile. “Fried rice okay with you two?”

“Wait, Grandpa's recipie?” Kotetsu looked hopeful at his grandfather.

“You bet. He taught me how to make it once we were married. I can't tell you how many times we sat on the couch, just eating fried rice and watching movies. Those were simpler times compared to now. To have just one more night like that… it would be impossible, but still.” Barnaby sighed. “I really miss him.”

“You have no reason not to miss him. He was the love of your life, and he was taken away from you. I’d miss him if I were you.”

“I’ll see him again some day,” the older blond sighed. “Just not in this life, sadly.”

Kotetsu was silent, trying to gather all the memories he might have had with his grandfather before he passed, though there wasn’t any to collect. It was disappointing.

Yes, someday Barnaby would be with his husband again. May that day be soon or far off still, the retired hero was lonely nonetheless. It was clear in his fading eyes, once so sparkling and full of young life. Those were the days, when the sky was still blue and the sun shone warmly, and everyone appreciated what the heroes did for the city. It was a time when lovers could roam free in the streets at any time of day and not worry about a curfew followed by armed agents who would shoot anyone down at the smallest disagreement. Dark times fell upon Sternbild faster than the NEXT’s had time to hide safely and continue living in peace among normal humans. Once Ouroboros took over the city, once Clinton and the leader of Ouroboros, James Kirkland, rose to power over the mayor, things fell apart, and Hero TV fell quickly into oblivion where it would never return again.

Someday, things would be better again. Everyone would be together once more, and the city would be protected by heroes. Yes, someday, it would happen, and if Barnaby’s plan went the way he wanted, that day would come very soon.

-x-

Clinton pulled himself into the main office, knowing he was going to get a good yelling at for letting Kotetsu escape. He had somehow managed to survive the attack, but only just barely. His body was put back together with metal and wires, and his hair was cut short. He no longer had the pride of his intimidating look with his long hair, but his blue eyes still made people hesitate approaching him as he walked down the long hallway to James Maverick’s office.

Heavy boots clicked softly as they went from hard tile to plush carpet. Two guards stood outside of the office, giving sideways glances at Clinton as he moved past.

Inside of the office was dark, full of leather and both polished wood and brass. The heavy smell of vodka filled the room as the leader of Ouroboros slipped his third glass that night. The man was turned around in his chair so he couldn't be seen behind his desk. It was tense in there, Clinton could feel it as he stopped right in front of the desk. He swallowed hard, waiting for his punishment.

In the chair sat James Maverick, and in his lap was a smaller brunet man that looked nearly starved and very sleep deprived. His thin framed glasses were just barely on the end of his nose, and they threatened to fall off if James turned around too quickly. Good thing the leader did move slowly, because not only would the smaller man most likely be thrown across the room by the motion, but also the tiger sitting in the corner of the room would get defensive very quickly. It was not an ideal situation to get into, especially for the tiger, so there was no way that James nor the tiger would even initiate anything.

James did spin around eventually, his eyebrows set low over his eyes as he held the brunet man closer. The leader's fiery red hair and beard stood out against his black suit, form fitting and not a wrinkle to be found. He let out a long sigh before speaking.

“Colton… how did ‘e get away? How did you, of all the members of Ouroboros, manage ta let Kotetsu escape?”

Colton looked at the ground, not really knowing what to say. “I… He was too strong...Sir.”

“Too strong… Do ya know how stupid yer makin’ yerself look? You are my best mate in this organization, so you'd better give me a better answer than tha’.”

“I'm sorry, Sir. He really was too strong for me and my men…”

“Yer a sorry excuse for a best mate. You ‘ave people lookin’ fer ‘im, right?”

“Of course, at least we did start looking for him. This storm is preventing us from doing much of anything.”

“It's a damn thunderstorm. Get out there an’ find the bastards before they get too far out! You lose them, an’ yer losin’ yer head!” James slammed his hand on the desk as he growled out his instructions, scaring the man in his arms.

Colton hurried out of the office as fast as he could. Even though James was his boss, the Scotsman was too annoying not to do something about it.

Back inside the office, James sighed and pet the brunet's hair gently, soothing him as beat as he could. “Tha’ was a bad man… ‘e never follows instructions ever. Jus’ like a wee babe…” the man huffed and looked over at the tiger, beckoning it closer. The tiger only growled back at him defensively.

“Fine then, be tha’ way, ya flea-bitten, overgrown cat. I'd rather keep yer father around than ya."

Again, the tiger growled, but it moved closer to the man in James's lap and nuzzled him gently, almost lovingly. It's sleek coat was pet over and over by the leader of the huge organization, a false sense of security rising up as it had so many times in the past. The tiger knew it wasn't safe around James, but there was nowhere else to go. As far as it knew, this was what life was about, and there was nothing it could do.

“Good girl,” James cooed. “Yer safe ‘ere with me and yer dad. He enjoys yer company, ya know? Such a shame ‘e’s forgotten who ya really are, Little Tiger. If ‘e forgets his past, ‘e’d be better off not knowing. Makes my job easier. Besides, ‘e’s never gonna be Wild Tiger ever again.”


	8. Chapter 8

Barnaby slept fitfully that night. His dreams took him to a place where he was young once more, fighting alongside his husband with a smile upon his face. The days where he was only a rookie hero just starting out and steadily making his way up to the top of the leaderboard, those days were the best days of his life. He missed them dearly, just as he missed his husband.

 

_ The young hero was in his old apartment, heading to the kitchen where he found Kotetsu, his husband, looking back at him with that goofy smile of his. “Morning, Bunny! I made some waffles for us.” _

 

_ Barnaby smiled, moving lazily over to Kotetsu with a yawn. “You didn’t have to make breakfast, you know. I’m surprised you can even walk this morning.” _

 

_ “I can still walk now, but I might not in a little bit.” _

 

_ “Oh really?” Barnaby took a plate from the counter, piled with waffles and syrup, and took a huge bite. _

 

_ “We were… um…” Kotetsu flushed a little, moving closer to Barnaby and hugging him.  _

 

_ The plate was set down, and though it was sticky, Barnaby pulled his husband into a kiss. The scene was all too familiar to the blond… _

 

_ Their call bracelets went off, and Kotetsu gave a huge sigh. “Looks like it’ll have to wait for another morning.” _

 

_ “We can do it as soon as we get back. I promise.”  _

 

_ With that the two headed out to answer the call, a burning building with a possible bomb threat. Barnaby’s mind skipped all the lovely chatter he had had with Kotetsu, and it jumped right to the explosion, Kotetsu screaming over the intercom in pain… _

 

_ And then silence. _

 

_ Barnaby hadn’t screamed so loud for so long in his whole life. He was broken, desperate, denying that his husband was gone. Things had turned so bad in a matter of hours. _

 

_ Then he was at the hospital, crying over the charred and broken body that once breathed the life of Kotetsu T Kaburagi-Brooks. Barnaby was so shaken over the death of his husband, and thousands of lying voices screamed in his head about how he was a horrible spouse and step-father. Then Maverick’s face showed it’s ugly self, a wicked smile on his face. “You tried so hard, my boy,” it sneered. “But you couldn’t save him, just like you couldn’t save your parents. They all had the same tragic fate that you couldn’t stop. How do you feel now?” The face morphed into Barnaby’s father. “Why did you not come home sooner?” His mother’s face. “We could have been together in the end. We could have all gone to Heaven together.” _

 

_ Kotetsu’s face. “Bunny...why did you let me go in there? Why didn’t you save me?” _

 

_ Barnaby sobbed loudly until his throat was raw, screaming out the names of those he had loved for so long. He had failed everyone. It was all his fault. He was a terrible man, and there was nothing he could do to fix the past. He had let it all happen right in front of him. Why did he walk back to his home as a boy instead of ran? Why did he let Kotetsu convince him he’d be fine? _

 

_ Why did the explosion have to happen? _

 

_ Barnaby was surrounded in darkness, the sound of his sobbing mixing with his parents’ and husband’s. Kaede’s was there too, and then Antonio’s, Nathan’s, Ivan’s, Keith’s, Karina’s, Pao-Lin’s, Ryan’s. All the second league heros cried out, innocent NEXT’s cried out as they were brutally murdered for sins they didn’t commit, the whole city cried out to Barnaby, accusing him of letting everything fall out of place, for letting Ouroboros destroy everything. _

 

_ “Please…” he whispered. “Please, let it all end. Let me die… I want to die now…” _

 

-x-

 

The brunet curled up against the tiger, needing warmth on that cold night. James had long since gone to bed, leaving the man and the tiger alone with each other, just like every other night. Shivering slightly, the man curled up more, whimpering a little. He was asleep, but his dreams were also terrible.

 

_ A huge flash of light, his hearing and sight suddenly gone, the smell of sulfur everywhere. He was scared, and he couldn’t hear or see anything to make him less scared. He reached out for anything to save him, to let him escape from the hell he was suddenly thrust into. For all he knew, he was in Hell, and he knew enough to know there was no escape from it. He was there forever, for the rest of his life, for as long as he could comprehend to some degree what was going on.  _

 

_ And then a calming image came into his head. He couldn’t see, but he remembered what those curls had looked like, the warm smile he was given every morning. The image brought tears to his sightless eyes, and then everything faded away, and his breath left his body for the last time. _

 

_ The next thing the brunet knew, he was awake, his hearing still gone, but his sight was restored slightly. He had glasses on, so maybe he hadn’t actually gone blind before. He was just blind enough to need glasses with thick lenses, the frames thin and almost nonexistent. What was happening to him, he didn’t know, but suddenly there was a man with red hair making signs at him that he didn’t understand, yet his hands seemed to move on his own as he replied in this strange new way. Had he been programed to know sign language? Where was he? Where was his husband? _

 

The brunet woke from his dream, opening his eyes slightly as tears fell. He remembered everything, no matter what James had said. He remembered his husband, his daughter, his wife, mother, and brother. Most of his family was dead, including his wife, mother and brother. But he knew where his daughter was, and his husband wasn’t dead yet, was he? Surely he was still strong enough to escape Hell.

 

The brunet took a deep breath and sat up, looking at the sleeping tiger next to him. Though she couldn’t see him, he moved his fingers on his right hand, speaking “I love you” without a sound coming out of his mouth.

 

-x-

 

Barnaby woke up with tears in his eyes. He was staring at the ceiling, blankets tangled around his body and a cold sweat covering him so thick it was like he had taken a dip in a pool. He swallowed and wiped his forehead slowly. “Kotetsu… I’m sorry.”

 

The door to his bedroom opened slightly, and a familiar head poked in gently. “Grandpa? Are you alright?”

 

“Kotetsu… n-no. Not really.” Barnaby sat up with a groan. “God, i’m getting old. My whole body hurts from tossing and turning.”

 

Kotetsu approached slowly, rubbing his bare chest. “Do you need some medicine to help the pain? I can send Jacob to get something.”

 

“No, let him rest. You should be resting too. Why aren't you in bed?” The old blond, though more silver than blond now, smiled, knowing very well why Kotetsu was awake.

 

“You were a little loud… And it didn't sound very pleasant. You were screaming.”

 

“Probably. I...was reliving losing my husband. It still haunts me pretty severely.” 

 

Kotetsu shook his head and sat on the bed. “What were you two like? As a couple.”

 

“Well,” Barnaby started with a grin. “We hated each other when we first met. We fought over everything, but after Kotetsu and I defeated Jake Martinez, something clicked… I mean there was one night that we hooked up. I was blasted drunk that night and made poor decisions. It's probably a good thing I don't remember that night very well.

 

“Anyways, after Jake was defeated, Kotetsu and I really got close, and after a while we were sure that we wanted to be more than friends. We were already best friends at the time, and when we realized we wanted to be more… It was an instant connection. I’m not going into details about what came after that, but we were married two years after Maverick was murdered by Lunatic.”

 

“Wait, so you two actually hated each other to begin with? How the hell did you end up married?” Kotetsu chuckled and yawned.

 

With a gentle hand, Barnaby reached out and stroked Kotetsu’s hair. A sad smile came across his lips. “You’re so much like him… and your mother. I just wish they could see you all grown up…” More tears came to the old hero’s eyes.

 

“I wish I could see them again. I barely got to know them.” Kotetsu sighed and hugged Barnaby. “But think about how much time we get to spend with them after our lives are done here. We’re only here for a short amount of time, so we better make the most of it before we go on to the next life.”

 

Barnaby nodded, knowing it was true. Life was short, and anything after that was much longer. He only had to endure the pain just a little longer.

 

“You should really get back to bed,” The older man said after a while. “You don’t always get the chance to sleep well like you do now.”

 

“I know, but I’m used to staying awake days at a time. I was tortured a lot in the NEXT facility.” Kotetsu shrugged, though he did yawn again, and he knew he was only denying sleep just to be with his grandfather.

 

“Go back to bed, squirt. Please. We have a lot of work to do in the days to come, and you’ll need all the energy you can get.”

 

A heavy sigh escaped the young brunet as he stood. “Promise you’ll still be here in the morning when I wake up, and that this isn’t just some dream.”

 

“It’s not a dream, Kotetsu. This is for real. And I’ll be right here when you wake up again. I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.” Barnaby gave a light chuckle as he straightened out his blankets. “Good night.”

 

“Night, Grandpa…” Kotetsu left reluctantly to go back to bed, doubting himself for the first time in a while. What if this really was just a dream, and Ouroboros was manipulating his mind?

 

When he got back to his room, Seacrest was awake and sitting up in the bed. Kotetsu wasn’t sure he had been asleep before he left, but it didn’t matter. The guard was wide awake now and curious about what happened, also probably a little worried.

 

“Everything alright?”

 

Kotetsu nodded. “Grandpa was just having a nightmare.”

 

“Well, that doesn’t sound alright to me. How is he?”

 

“He’s fine. He just misses his husband is all.”

 

Seacrest nodded, pulling Kotetsu into a hug as he climbed back into the bed. “You know, I really like it here. It may not be in the best condition in some parts, but it’s definitely better than that NEXT facility. I actually get to see what’s outside everyday instead of once a month.”

 

“You got to see the outside more than me,” Kotetsu pointed out. 

 

“Well, yeah… You weren’t really allowed to do anything. All you did was sit there and write logs.”

 

“It was all I was able to do. But at least I had you to talk to sometimes.” Kotetsu smiled and leaned back against Seacrest.

 

“Indeed you did…” Seacrest sighed and put his forehead on Kotetsu's shoulder. “I'm worries for all of us out here. We could easily be found if the officials get even a small clue of where we are.”

 

“Jacob, we're all NEXTs here. We're all descendants of Heroes, and we have my grandpa here too. I think we'll be safe.” The brunet looked up at his guard with a smile. “Don't worry so much. You'll get more wrinkles, you old man.”

 

“Hold up! I am not that old!”

 

“You are too! You're 38!” 

 

“That's not that old…”

 

Kotetsu laughed, turning around and sitting on his knees in front of Seacrest. “Listen Jacob. I love you, but you have got to start acting your age.” He imitated the Warden by pointing his finger at his guard, a huge frown on his face.

 

“Alright, you should stop.” Seacrest rolled his eyes and laid back down,closing his eyes.”Go to bed.”

 

Kotetsu smirked and curled up against his guard. “I'm guessing no kiss tonight.”

 

“You assume too much.” The blond sat back up and leaned down to kiss Kotetsu's forehead. “I always kiss you good night.”

 

“Keep it that way please…”

 

-x-

 

The tiger awoke, tears from the man hugging her running down her coat. She was confused at first, because the man always did this, but this time the man was grabbing handfuls of her fur tightly. A small whimper escaped her throat as she curled up more around the man.

 

Times were rough now. It would be a long time before the two would be free once more, along with all of their friends. Barnaby had been lucky. He had evaded Ouroboros’s plan, but the others weren’t so lucky. It was heartbreaking, but that was the way it went. Soon, though, hopefully they would all be free. Everything would go back to the way it should have been, and all the heroes would be back in action. It was only a silly hope, but there was a feeling, deep down inside of the tiger, she knew that something big was about to happen. A revolution was on the horizon, and her son would be at the lead of it.

 

Change was coming soon. All she and her father had to do was wait for the new heroes to arrive.


	9. Chapter 9

“Rise and shine, everybody!”

Ryker and Barnaby were up early the next morning to wake everyone up. With Kotetsu and Seacrest now in the group, everyone's training had been changed so they all could train together. Barnaby thought it would be the best way for them all to get to know each other as well as develop fighting styles.

Still, waking early wasn't one of the most favorite things among the group, so getting up at nearly six in the morning was hard on everybody. The twins especially did not like getting up very early. They were still a couple of teenagers, even though they both were 25.

Ming was one of those teens who would throw their pillows at whoever woke them up as an attempt to make them go away. Ming on the other hand was one who would just lay in bed, giving no sign that he was awake at all. That morning was another perfect example of those behaviors, and Ming really was not happy to wake up, her pillow being launched towards Ryker when he got too close.

Benjamin was a slow riser. He would wake up when he was woken, but he would take forever to actually get out of bed, taking his time to meditate and fully wake up. He at least gave a small moan when Barnaby shook his shoulder to wake him, yawning a little and cracking his eyes open.

Kotetsu and Seacrest were on an entirely different sleep schedule still, and both had been awake for at least two hours when Barnaby and Ryker came to their room. The two escapees were casually chatting while half-dressed when their wake up call came. They acknowledged the presence of the man and the boy before continuing their conversation.

It took about an hour for the whole group to gather in the kitchen for breakfast. The twins were very tired still, their eyes and attention spans showing it. Benjamin was fully awake, but seemed mentally exhausted already. Kotetsu and Seacrest were of course fully awake and ready for food.

“Good morning,” Barnaby started with everyone in the room watching him. “Today we’re starting a new training plan. This is going to include more hand-to-hand combat practice, but also we’ll be improving your NEXT powers. You all are very talented so far with your powers, but we have a long ways to go if we want to take down Ouroboros.

“Before all that, though, we need to go over a few things that have been brought to my attention recently.” He looked at Seacrest with a serious expression. “As we all know, a NEXT possessing two powers has been extremely rare in the past. However, as things have changed and the well known NEXT Virus has been going around, many NEXTs have mutated, and now nearly 100% of the NEXT population in the world possess two powers.”

Seacrest and Kotetsu seemed to be the only ones who were surprised by the news.

“I know,” Barnaby continued. “This is news to some of you, but the truth of the matter is this is not how NEXTs are supposed to be. Any NEXT with two powers is now considered a public enemy, as those with two powers in the past has also been defined as a public enemy. Jake Martinez is a popular example.”

“Hold on,” Ming interrupted. “Why hasn’t the NEXT Virus affected everyone, then?”

“Does it only affect NEXTs,” Ling asked.

“By society’s definition, the NEXT Virus is what is causing people to have NEXT powers in the first place. The NEXT Virus is actually the vaccine that people have been getting to prevent developing powers. No one wants to be labeled a freak, and that’s the same attitude people had when NEXT powers were just starting to develop.”

“The NEXT Virus is a vaccine?” Kotetsu’s eyes were wide. He hadn’t known that for his whole life. Even his mother had spoken about the Virus like he had possessed it. What exactly was going on?

“It is, and Ouroboros has been giving it to civilians for years. As soon as they start to show signs of developing NEXT powers, they’re sent to the holding facilities to die. Ouroboros is manipulating the people of Sternbild to filter out the weak ones, which are the ones who got to get the vaccine almost daily.

“Our first plan of attack will be to break open all the holding facilities and free the NEXTs. They’ll have time to escape and find a safe place to hide away from Ouroboros. After that will be the center of the city where Ouroboros is stationed. Like I said, we have a long ways to go before we’re ready to take on Ouroboros, but we can do it, and if my suspicions are correct, we’ll be able to gain at least one more NEXT in our group.”

Barnaby smiled at the young NEXTs and sighed. “So who’s ready for breakfast?”

 

-x-

 

Clinton hated this.

All around him was dry, baron land that produced nothing but dead trees every couple of miles and the occasional bush that had dried up before it even had a chance to grow very much. The air couldn’t settle on whether it would be blistering hot that day or freezing cold. It was a sad sight. The whole area was destroyed, and it was all because of Ouroboros’s plans for taking over the whole earth. Huge factories were built to make weapons and supplies for members, and NEXT holding facilities were built across the country, imprisoning heroes and all other NEXTs immediately.

Except for a select few.

Clinton clenched his hands, his palms growing warmer as he started to glow a soft blue. He had always thought it unfair that NEXTs who were involved in the organization were safe, while those outside of it were thrown away to never see the light of day again. There he was, a NEXT himself, safe within the walls of Ouroboros.

He growled a little. There was no way he would be able to find Kotetsu again. The man was long gone, as was his stupid guard. Clinton always knew Seacrest had been a NEXT. There was a certain way that a NEXT’s blood flowed in their veins that was different from a normal human. It was faster, more energized, and it contained the power a NEXT needed to activate their abilities. Before his time, people hadn’t known why or how NEXTs came about. Clinton’s ability was the first of its kind, the ability to feel the energy run through a person, to know what keeps them going, and the ability to stop their life in seconds. Sure, it may have been a rather violent power, but he had control over it. It wasn’t like as soon as he sensed a person’s blood, they would die. No, he could look into their blood, see what made up the life source of a human, and then decided whether he wanted them dead or not.

A cold wind blew through Clinton’s scarf, making him shiver violently. The storm that had rolled through brought a cold front with it, not that the front determined what the temperature would be. Still, it was too cold for Clinton’s liking, and he found a large rock to sit next to, blocking the wind from reaching his body.

“This is stupid,” he mumbled to himself. “Why did James want me to go find him? Someone else could have went to find him.”

Startling him from his thoughts, Clinton’s call bracelet, an old model used with the old heroes, went off, indicating he was getting an update in information. No one was sending him anything, but rather a large increase of energy was detected. His eyes got wide, his breathing quickened. Finally he had a lead to where Kotetsu and Seacrest were, and he was not about to let them get away this time.

“Maybe James having me find them wasn’t such a horrible idea after all.” Clinton chuckled and walked on with a menacing bounce in his step. He was going to find Kotetsu and Seacrest, even if it killed him.

 

-x-

 

“Keep your knees tucked in! That criminal is going to catch you if you don’t keep a tight form!” Barnaby shouted at the training heroes from the bottom of the training room, making sure they all had the right attitude and the correct forms as they trained.

All the young NEXTs were having a little difficulty, but they were getting through their training.

“Why can’t we just use our powers to fight of the criminals,” Ling complained.

“Not always will you have the chance to use your powers,” Barnaby explained. “There will be times when you are not able to activate your powers because of close combat. These will be the times where you really need to pay attention to your surroundings.”

“But what if we don’t have the time to observe our surroundings? Wouldn’t just using our powers be easier?” Ling jumped up onto the platform he was closest to and looked over at Barnaby.

“There will be a time where that would seem appropriate, but in our case, you will need to think before you act. Being caught unaware of what is going on can be the worst place to be when fighting the enemy.” Barnaby took a deep breath and put his hands behind his back, much like a general would while watching his troops.

That was when the doors to the room opened behind him and a very rushed and out of breath Saito came up behind him, tugging at Barnaby’s shirt. “Barnaby… you need to come with me. Now.” Before Barnaby even had a chance to respond, Saito was gone, running back to his labs.

Confused and concerned, Barnaby glanced out at the soon-to-be heroes. “Keep working. I’ll be right back.” He turned on his heel and ran out through the doors.

Soon he caught up to Saito, slowing to a jog beside the man. “What’s wrong, Saito? This isn’t another break in the security, is it?”

“No, much worse.”

“Worse? Ouroboros hasn’t found us, have they?”

Saito shrugged as he got to the door of his office. “I can’t say for sure. There is a man coming, and he wears the tattoo.” He swallowed and looked up at Barnaby with fear. “It’s Clinton Garland.”

Barnaby paled, eyes going wide. “So… he has returned.”

“I’m afraid so, Barnaby.”

The two went into the lab, Saito directing Barnaby over to the monitors showing the footage of the security cameras. “He’s still quite a ways off,” Saito continued. “But he’s getting closer. He’s not wandering around. His goal is to find this place.”

“Damnit…” Barnaby sat down heavily in the nearby chair and rubbed his chin, feeling the slight stubble that grew there. “We’re not ready. The kids aren’t ready to take him on.”

“We could try to turn him back,” Saito suggested.

“No, that would only bring attention to us, and then we’d have the whole organization upon us when we’re not prepared.”

Silence dragged on longer between the two, then the audio from the video came through, howling wind drowning out most of it.

_“Almost there… find them and…notify Ouroboros.”_

Barnaby sighed. “I had hoped to not see Clinton again until our time to attack Ouroboros. But I should have expected James to send him out to find Kotetsu.”

“We don’t have many options right now,” Saito said quietly.

“I know, I know… I think we’ll just have to confront him now.” Barnaby got up and headed outside, grabbing his heavy coat to block the wind out.

For a few minutes, he walked. He got just outside the town when he stopped, spotting the figure of Clinton heading towards him with a slight limp. He sighed. “Oh, Clinton… What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

A few more minutes passed before Clinton stopped. He looked at Barnaby from afar, recognizing him after so many years. A wave of anger washed over Clinton for the things that happened in the past. It wasn’t fair. He had found Barnaby first, so why did he get to become a hero then?

The distance between them now was small. The tension was high. Wind howled around the two, their coats flapping about in the wind, which seemed to have died down enough for them to speak to each other.

“It’s been a while, Clinton,” Barnaby said first.

“Indeed, it has… But I still haven’t forgiven you.”

“Your head wasn’t in the right place, Clinton. I had to send you away.”

“No, you were scared I would fuck up! You wasted my perfectly good talent! And for what? So you could have the better grandson be the one to lead the rebellion? I was ready! I wanted to fight for the good of Sternbild, but you pulled all that from under my feet, and I fell.” Clinton gave a hard, very hurt glare at Barnaby.

“I couldn’t stop the darkness that was rising up in your heart. You were only going to hurt us all, and you know it.” Barnaby took a step forward.

“I didn’t want to hurt you! I wanted to help, that was all I asked for, and you said no. You shut me down, and you sent me to become this… this monster that I am now! I’ve killed so many innocent NEXT’s, and I never wanted to be this type of person ever! You hurt me! Mom hurt me… I just wanted to be happy.”

“Your mother was a strong woman. She tried her best, Clinton.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

There was a long pause. Barnaby went over his thoughts, knowing that he had to address the truth at some point.

“Clinton… You know about your condition, right?”

“How could I forget the damned thing…”

Another sigh. “Look, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t stop the darkness taking over. I wanted to help you. But there was no way I could have with your condition.”

Clinton’s eyes watered up. It was unfair. He didn’t want to be born with the condition. He didn’t ask for the life he had lived. All he wanted was to live happily with his mother and younger brother, and his grandparents. They were all his true life, the reasons he had been happy when he was younger. And now… well, now things were complicated with his condition. His disease. The Virus was a nasty thing that nobody wanted, and yet so many people were born with it now that it was impossible to filter it out from the population.

“It wasn’t fair,” Clinton screamed out. “I should have been the chosen one! I should be in Kotetsu’s place, but I just had to be born with this curse!”

“Clinton, if you’ve come here to find Kotetsu and Seacrest, you would be right, but I have to ask you to leave.”

“No! I was welcome here once, and I want to be welcome again! This is my home! This is where I lived!”

“I’m sorry. You have to go.” Barnaby turned his back on Clinton and started to head back to the base.

“Please! You can’t leave me here!”

Barnaby ignored Clinton with a sad expression. He just kept walking.

“No! Please! James is tormenting me! I can’t handle it much longer!”

Again, he was ignored.

“Please, just listen to me! GRANDPA, PLEASE!”

That did it. Barnaby stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t ignore the plea for help from his oldest grandson any more. He knew right from the beginning that Clinton was not a bad person at heart. It was the Virus that had made him so, and he had hated every minute of it.

“Clinton…I still love you. But I can’t take you in at this point. It’s too risky.”

“…Are they not ready yet?”

“No, the heroes are not ready to take on Ouroboros yet. They are still too inexperienced.”

“Even Benjamin?”

“Yes, even Benjamin. I don’t even think I am ready yet.” Barnaby gave a sad shake of his head, looking at the ground. He turned around to face Clinton once more and walked back towards him. Clinton was then pulled into an embrace, a tight one that meant the world to him.

“I promised I would find you when we were ready,” Barnaby said. “I am still keeping that promise, Clinton. I will not leave you behind when the time is right. I will come back for you.”

Clinton wrapped his arms around Barnaby tight and steadied his breathing. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold James back, but I will try my best.”

“Thank you.” Barnaby pulled back with a smile and wiped away Clinton’s tears. “You will not be forgotten. Give us at least a month, and we should be ready by then. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is on semi hiatus, as I have school work and other things to be worried about. Plus, my mind is more on Star Wars at the moment. Don't worry, I do plan on finishing this fic, but updates will be slow. Keep an eye out!


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